FOR MEDIA 15 MAY 1979
LAUNCHING OF THE SIR ROBERT MENZIES MEMORIAL TRUST APPEAL
( SPEECH AS DELIVERED)
It gives me a great deal of pleasure to support His Excellency
in the remarks he made this morning to launch the appeal for
the Sir Robert Menzies Memorial Foundation. I am sure that
the appeal will have a very ready response right around
Australia, in all States and from all people, in all walks
of life throughout Australia.
We may be still too close to Sir Robert Menzies' own time to
be able to assess fully the mark that he left on Austalian
life, on political life, on the character and development of
Australia. But as time passes I believe that his role will
be written in even-firmer terms than might be by some
contemporary historians. The character that he imparted to
this nation, the leadership that he gave to Australians through
many times, as a Parliamentarian and as a person, has no equal
in Australian history.
The progress of Australia during his years was very great.
It was a period of great Australian development. Australia
abroad, as His Excellency the Governor-General has indicated,
became a nation to be listened to for the first time. But it
wasn't only in these grand things that his attention, patience
and energy was directed. During his time welfare, income
security for disadvantaged people, was begun in Australia
in a realistic way. His concern for education was in a
very real sense a personal1 involvement when he took the
Commonwealth into the great expansion of Australian
universities, the development of the National University,
and the other universities around Australia. That Commonwealth
support enabled an expansion to take place which surely has
benefitted tens, indeed hundreds of thousands of young
Australians. That, I think, is one of his greatest memorials.
The development of Canberra itself, again, owes much to
Sir Robert Menzies' initiative. But something more than that
is needed I believe for an Australian who has done so much
for his country. Therefore, thle-Sir Robert Menzies National
Foundation is launched today to stand as a permanent personal
memorial to the service he gave Australia. / 2
The purpose of the Foundation, as His Excellency has said,
is to promote health, fitness and physical achievement for
all Australians, and particularly for young Australians.
The Foundation will seek to improve our knowledge of health,
to encourage better health and fitness and thereby help more
Australians to lead more rewarding lives in work and
recreation. It will do this by supporting research in
medical schools and elsewhere into health, fitness and
physical achievement, by promoting public education on
these subjects and by encouraging better recreation
facilities for the community.
In support of the appeal, and as the first donor, but I
hope not the largest donor, I have pleasure in announcing
that the Commonwealth will donate $ 2 million to the appeal.
We will also match all other donations on a dollar for dollar
basis. As a further gentle inducement to others to seek to match
and surpass the Commonwealth's effort, donations will of
course be tax deductible.
The State and National Committees of the Sir Robert Menzies
Memorial Trust have given freely of their time and searched
for the best memorial, the best purpose. I believe they have
come out well. I would like to thank the members of the
State and National Committees for what they have done to this
point, but I suspect that over the next three or four months
the greatest time and energy will be involved.
It is very much an investment in the future an investment
in the future of Australia, but particularly an investment in
the future Of young Australians.
Your Excellency, I believe it is a fitting tribute indeed to
Sir Robert Menzies.
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